Track link having canted rail surface edges and machine track with same

Abstract

A track link for a machine track includes an elongate link body having an upper rail surface with an inboard peripheral edge and an outboard peripheral edge each formed upon a first link strap, a second link strap, and a middle section. The upper rail surface defines a longitudinal midline and at least one of the inboard peripheral edge or the outboard peripheral edge upon the first link strap and the second link strap is canted, in an inboard-outboard direction, to a longitudinal midline of the upper rail surface.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A track link comprising:
 an elongate link body including a first link strap, a second link strap, and a middle section, and having a first track pin bore and a second track pin bore formed, respectively, in the first link strap and the second link strap and each extending between an inboard side and an outboard side of the elongate link body; 
 the elongate link body further including a lower shoe-mounting surface, and an upper rail surface having an inboard peripheral edge and an outboard peripheral edge each formed upon the first link strap, the second link strap, and the middle section; 
 the upper rail surface defining a longitudinal midline, and at least one of the inboard peripheral edge or the outboard peripheral edge upon each of the first link strap and the second link strap being canted, in an inboard-outboard direction, to the longitudinal midline; and 
 each of the inboard peripheral edge and the outboard peripheral edge in the first link strap and the second link strap is canted, in the inboard-outboard direction, to the longitudinal midline. 
 
     
     
       2. The track link of  claim 1  wherein the first track pin bore and the second track pin bore define center axes, and the at least one of the inboard peripheral edge or the outboard peripheral edge upon each of the first link strap and the second link strap is canted, in a projection plane, to the corresponding one of the center axes. 
     
     
       3. The track link of  claim 1  wherein the upper rail surface has a first width within the middle section, and a second width within each of the first link strap and the second link strap, and the second width is about 45% or less of the first width. 
     
     
       4. The track link of  claim 1  wherein:
 the first link strap includes a first link body end and the second link strap includes a second link body end; 
 the inboard peripheral edge and the outboard peripheral edge in the first link strap are convergent in a direction of the first link body end; and 
 the inboard peripheral edge and the outboard peripheral edge in the second link strap are convergent in a direction of the second link body end. 
 
     
     
       5. The track link of  claim 4  wherein the inboard peripheral edge and the outboard peripheral edge in each of the first link strap and the second link strap define an isosceles triangular shape. 
     
     
       6. The track link of  claim 1  wherein:
 the first link strap and the second link strap are offset from one another in the inboard-outboard direction; and 
 the inboard peripheral edge and the outboard peripheral edge are parallel to one another in each of the first link strap and the second link strap. 
 
     
     
       7. The track link of  claim 6  wherein the inboard peripheral edge and the outboard peripheral edge in the first link strap are canted toward the outboard side of the elongate link body, and the inboard peripheral edge and the outboard peripheral edge in the second link strap are canted toward the inboard side of the elongate link body. 
     
     
       8. A track link comprising:
 an elongate link body including a first link body end, a first link strap, a second link body end, a second link strap, and a middle section, and having a first track pin bore and a second track pin bore formed, respectively, in the first link strap and the second link strap and each extending between an inboard side and an outboard side of the elongate link body; 
 the elongate link body further including a lower shoe-mounting surface, and an upper rail surface structured for contacting rotating elements in a machine track and defining a longitudinal midline; 
 the upper rail surface being formed upon the first link strap, the second link strap, and the middle section; 
 the upper rail surface is canted, in an inboard-outboard direction, to the longitudinal midline in the first link strap longitudinally between the middle section and the first track pin bore and longitudinally between the first track pin bore and the first link body end; 
 the upper rail surface is canted, in the inboard-outboard direction, to the longitudinal midline in the second link strap longitudinally between the middle section and the second track pin bore and longitudinally between the second track pin bore and the second link body end; and 
 the canting of the upper rail surface in each of the first link strap and the second link strap is continuous from the middle section to the respective first link body end and second link body end. 
 
     
     
       9. The track link of  claim 8  wherein the upper rail surface is canted toward the longitudinal midline in directions of the first link body end and the second link body end in the first link strap and the second link strap, respectively. 
     
     
       10. The track link of  claim 9  wherein the upper rail surface includes an inboard peripheral edge and an outboard peripheral edge, and the inboard peripheral edge and the outboard peripheral edge are parallel to one another in each of the first link strap and the second link strap. 
     
     
       11. The track link of  claim 10  wherein the upper rail surface in each of the first link strap and the second link strap is canted toward the longitudinal midline at an inside angle that is less than  45  degrees. 
     
     
       12. The track link of  claim 10  wherein the upper rail surface has a first width within the middle section, and a second width within each of the first link strap and the second link strap, and the second width is about 45% or less of the first width. 
     
     
       13. A machine track comprising:
 a first track chain; 
 a second track chain; 
 a track pin coupling together the first track chain and the second track chain; 
 each of the first track chain and the second track chain including a plurality of track links each having an upper rail surface formed in part upon a first link strap, a second link strap, and a middle section; and 
 the upper rail surface in each of the plurality of track links having an inboard peripheral edge and an outboard peripheral edge, and each of the inboard peripheral edge and the outboard peripheral edge being canted, in the corresponding first link strap and second link strap, in an inboard-outboard direction. 
 
     
     
       14. The machine track of  claim 13  wherein the inboard peripheral edge and the outboard peripheral edge are parallel to one another in the corresponding first link strap and second link strap. 
     
     
       15. The machine track of  claim 14  wherein the inboard peripheral edge and the outboard peripheral edge, in the corresponding first link strap, are canted toward one of an inboard side or an outboard side of the corresponding track link, and the inboard peripheral edge and the outboard peripheral edge, in the corresponding second link strap, are canted toward the other of an inboard side or an outboard side of the corresponding track link. 
     
     
       16. The machine track of  claim 15  wherein the first link strap and the second link strap in each of the plurality of track links are offset from one another. 
     
     
       17. The machine track of  claim 16  wherein the upper rail surface in the first link strap and the second link strap of each of the plurality of track links is canted toward the longitudinal midline at an inside angle that is less than  45  degrees. 
     
     
       18. The machine track of  16  wherein each of the first track chain and the second track chain includes a track rail having a plurality of unitary segments formed by the upper rail surfaces within middle sections of the corresponding plurality of track links, and a plurality of compound segments alternating with the plurality of unitary segments and formed by adjacent upper rail surfaces of the first link strap and the second link strap in adjacent ones of the corresponding plurality of track links. 
     
     
       19. The machine track of  claim 18  wherein a roller contact width of the track rail within each of the plurality of compound segments is less than 90% of a roller contact width of the track rail within each of the plurality of unitary segments.